Category

Blog

The journey of 1000 photos starts with one click

Above: Image by Gina Milicia “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” –Confucious  A few years ago, I photographed a woman named Karen Gatt, a busy mother of two toddlers. Karen had gained weight with each pregnancy and had grown depressed by the fact that the extra 150 pounds she was carrying made it difficult to walk. She could barely make it to her letterbox without needing to rest and catch her breath. Karen knew she needed to exercise more, but how could she do this when she could barely walk? One morning she made a decision that completely changed her life. Karen decided to walk to her clothesline and back. Just once. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The next day Karen walked to the clothesline and back twice. She continued doing this each day and bit by...

Best quote ever!

“Art is when you hear a knocking from your soul — and you answer.” – Terri Guillemets Above: Image by Gina Milicia

How to make eyes stand out in your portraits

Above: Image by Gina Milicia “The eyes see only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” — Robertson Davies Ever had a conversation with someone who was distracted? On the surface they appear to be listening to your amazing story about the dream you had last night. They are nodding in all the right places and saying “oh wow” and “oh no” every so often but there is something that tells you they aren’t 100% present. It’s nothing tangible. It’s a feeling, there is a disconnect. I often look at portraits and feel that same disconnect. The shot is beautifully lit, posed and composed but when you look into the eyes it’s like the lights are on but nobody’s home. If you want your portraits to stand out from the pack a great starting point is making sure the lights ARE on, somebody’s home and they welcome you with a big...

What’s holding you back?

“We can’t control the level of talent we’ve been given. We have no control over the nature of our gift. What we can control is our self-motivation, our self-discipline, our self-validation, and our self-reinforcement. We can control how hard and how smart we work.” —Steven Pressfield

Join me in Sicily in 2020

“Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all” We’ve had some beautiful feedback from 2019 tour participants! This has been such a transforming amazing experience. The choice of location was absolutely stunning, Gina a beautiful soul and an incredible inspiration who never tired of answering our questions. The other girls a unique blend of characters who harmonized in a way I never thought possible. To top it all off we were so lucky to got spoiled with fantastic food, drinks and knowledge by the awesome Carmel. I‘ll never forget it. —Karin (Switzerland) I put off writing this testimonial for months for fear of not doing the trip justice, as it’s literally been one of the best experiences of my life. Before moving on to the photography side of things, imagine yourself in the most beautiful, authentic, hidden gems of locations with fantastic faces everywhere and hardly any tourists! In...

What’s holding you back?

“We can’t control the level of talent we’ve been given. We have no control over the nature of our gift. What we can control is our self-motivation, our self-discipline, our self-validation, and our self-reinforcement. “We can control how hard and how smart we work.” Steven Pressfield

Everything you want is just outside your comfort zone

Above: Image by Gina Milicia “IN THE END… We only regret the chances we didn’t take, the relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make.” You’ve heard the saying “location, location” right? Well, did you know the place you spend the most time in is going to impact how successful you will become as a photographer? I believe the place you spend the majority of your time will have more of an impact on your ability to succeed than your technical skills. You can be the most technically gifted photographer in the world, but the place you spend the most time may sabotage your progress. I know this because I’ve lived in this place and getting out wasn’t easy. It’s difficult to leave a place that feels so familiar. Life here is predictable and comfortable. In fact, the place is called Comfort Zone....

Wise words from a portrait master

“And if a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it’s as though I’ve neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up. I know that the accident of my being a photographer has made my life possible.” – Richard Avedon

Was it good for you? You can’t fake a great portrait.

Above: Image by Gina Milicia I’ve got a confession to make. I’m a very convincing liar. I wasn’t born with this skill, it was developed in my childhood and perfected in my teen years. I learnt this skill out of necessity. I was raised by a very strict Sicilian born mother, who decided that it was in my very best interest to not date boys, or go to parties until I was at least 18 years old. I became a master “liar, liar pants on fire”. The trick to becoming a convincing liar is believing your own spin. I would come up with a story to tell my mother and visualised myself in the situation as I told it. I didn’t know this at the time, but learning the fine art of lying to a Sicilian mother puts you in roughly the same rank as a secret agent. The slightest...

Quote by Leon Levinstein

A good photograph will prove to the viewer how little our eyes permit us to see. Most people, really, don’t see—see only what they have always seen and what they expect to see—where a photographer if he’s good, will see everything. And better if he sees things he doesn’t expect to see. – Leon Levinstein Above: Image by Gina Milicia
1 10 11 12 13 14 44

How to direct and pose like a pro

About Gina

About Gina

Gina Milicia is one of the most widely known and respected photographers in Australia. She is the master of capturing that ‘magical moment’... READ MORE

instagram Instagram